A Typically Random Day

Okay, show of hands. All of you full-time, at-home parents out there: How many times in your full-time parenting career have you been asked the question, "Yeah, but what do you DO all day?" Kind of annoying, idn't it?

Those of us who happen to homeschool at least get a bit of a break as most people envision homeschooling as some sort of intensive school-at-home operation that takes at least as many hours per day as the local public school does (it doesn't), but it's a trade off because we have to deal with the same tired old question, "Yeah, but what about socialization?" But, that's a topic for another post.

In answer to the the first question, here's a quick look at my typically random day yesterday.

My day started out pretty quietly, with reading The Omnivor's Dilemma in bed. Don't mistake this for a bit of "light reading"; it will make you want to change everything about the way you feed your family. And, I read for the umpteenth time The Velveteen Rabbit to BooBoo (his current absolute favorite read). And the first chapter of Anne of Avonlea to T-Bear.

After hubby'd had his tubby, I slipped in for a quick wash-up (sharing baths saves on water and gas for heating said water) and got dressed. Then, downstairs I made summer squash soup.

Post-boiling, pre-puree'ing.

BooBoo Bear, my kitchen helper.

The finished product. Yes, it was quite lovely.

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The past couple of weeks I've gone nuts making fresh soups of every description I can think of. Some have been not-so-great, but most have been fabulous. As the first "meal" of the day (we don't really do breakfast), it really gets me feeling good, and just bustin' to get outside and into the garden. Hubby agrees. The kids, not so much, though BroBear has been raving about just about every soup I've made, as long as he can follow it up with at least to PBJ's.

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After we'd had our fill, I put the rest into ice cube trays and froze them for Mimi (she's been recovering from surgery, so we're bringing her soups for light, easy meals). I also negotiated a composting co-op with her whereby we combine our kitchen and green waste, and our two composters, to see if we can get a little compost factory going. We'll use my composting bin to "collect and hold", then transfer to her tumbling composter to compost the batches. We both had terrible luck with the tumber getting far to wet, and I couldn't get the bin to compost completely. So, hopefully we can strike just the right balance to get some good compost going.

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BooBoo decided he wanted to plant some spaghetti squash in "his" garden, so we put the seeds onto a paper bag out on the table on the back deck to dry.

BroBear and BooBoo both decided they wanted to grow avocado trees (even though neither will allow an avocado to pass their lips, and I doubt they will thrive in our area). A few days prior, two pits from a previous meal were skewered with toothpicks and put into jars of water on the window sill (has anyone else ever done that?). I decided they were not getting enough sunlight, so moved them to the back deck. Made a mental note that BooBoo's pit was up-side-down, so I can point out the difference between the two plants when (if) they sprout.


I spent about an hour in the "yarden", tending to the newly-sprouted irises (weeding, composting and mulching), and finished mulching the bulbs I'd transplanted last week. I actually used the mulch PapaBear and the Cubs made last weekend with the chipper/shredder, which was cool. It got me thinking all about "suburban ecology" and the importance of re-investing nutrients taken from your property's soil back into your property's soil, rather than throwing it away in the green waste bin or (goodness gracious) burning it in the back yard.


Somewhere throughout the day, the kids did some "learning". We take a relaxed, eclectic approach to home learning, with a healthy dose of TJEd thrown in. Student interest-directed, lots of reading, and a bit of on-line computer learning for good measure.
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Although I don't count this type of thing as "studies" (the State of Georgia does have it's standards, even for homeschoolers), I consider these types of project to be at least as valuable as academics, if not more so. Bro and BooBoo joined forces to create this elaborate ramp, which BroBear mastered on his scooter (the helmet was an intensely negotiated qualifier, thus the slightly "tween" look on Bro's face at the end of the video).



Okay, let's see. Somewhere along the line we had afternoon snack, and I'd been tracking T-Bear's BG throughout the day. Overall, his BG has been drifting slightly upward, so upped his Lantus by 1u and was keeping an eye on him.
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And, I grabbed some "left over" organic cotton yarn from my stash and started knitting a kitchen scrubby. Also in The Basket are a holiday stocking for Grace, a red bear for T-Bear (BTW the pattern can be found in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson recommended to me by Grace, and BooBoo is insisting on a bunny from the same pattern), and a sock for ME!.


This was inspired by Tanya's Paperless Kitchen. Last week I hid the paper towels in the pantry, and replaced them with this:

Do you like my sign? ;) We already have piles and piles of "clean up towels" in the kitchen for every assortment of disgusting clean-ups, as well as cloth napkins (though, probably not nearly enough for the entertaining we do).

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I'd been having some difficulty getting my artisan bread to rise this winter, since I keep the house on the cooler side (to save gas) and we don't have a pilot on our gas stove. But, I came up with a solution. I put a cast-iron frier on the stove, heated it up, turned off the gas, and put the dough container near enough to it to benefit from it's long-radiating heat.

It worked. Ain't that lovely?

Since PapaBear went to the trouble of buying me a new baking stone (I have a knack for shattering them), I figure it's time to get back to baking bread. I compromised my "whole grain" standard by using all-natural, unbleached white flour because this bread just does NOT do what it's supposed to with whole wheat flour. Let's just say, this is one of our guilty pleasures.

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Nana (MIL) arrived in the late afternoon (hem, Hubby, a little notice would have been good) to work on her taxes. It gave me the perfect opportunity to alternately chat, listen to Shakespeare's Sonnets for Classic Moms Book Club, and finish the first washcloth (which was immediately put to use in the kitchen).

PapaBear ordered Japanese for dinner from a local place, and picked it all up for us...in this box, which kinda blows my mind.

And, after dinner we sat down for a game of Canasta. BroBear loves this game as much as Papa, Nana and I do (I'm all about Cut-Throat Canasta), and I love that he loves it. It's a fabulous way for the kids to learn complex addition...counting by combinations of 5's, 10's, 20's, 50's and 100's...as well as strategy. BroBear won the round, though I was only 150 pts behind (we both scored over 4,000...not bad considering I did not get a Wild Card Canasta).

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And, thanks to Nana's card holders, I was able to finish up my second wash cloth while playing...

Yes, I AM a multi-tasking maniac. When I pulled out my camera to take this shot, Nana just about lost it.
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So, that was just about the brunt of my day. Except that my day rarely ends when I go to bed. I had to take a wild guess at the carbs T-Bear ate for dinner and figure his insulin dose accordingly, because I couldn't find a carb count for tempura. And then check his BG more frequently than usual in case I mis-guessed.

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About 1:00 am I woke up with Tempura Revenge and was sick for a few hours (sooooooo not used to fried food, and I wasn't the only one experiencing Fried Food Regret). Checking T-Bear's BG at 3:00 am he was too high to let slide (over 300), so I gave him a correction...which means I had to check again in 2 hours to be sure he didn't crash. Still high 2 hours later, but not so high I had to risk another correction (and possible crash). And, sleep simply would not come for more than 30 min at a time.

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Got out of bed later than usual today, and tried to guide my family through the day today...but, really, mostly read and knitted. Some days are better, and more productive, than others.

So, what does this review of my day say to me? That I spend a lot of my time and energy on things that are not necessarily valued by our modern industrial society.

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Things like reading to improve oneself and one's understanding the world. Reading aloud for hours at a time to our children, so they develop a love of learning and exploring and understanding and literature and their human history.

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Saying "yes" to a child's need to build something on their own, to master the use of tools, and to show off what they have accomplished. Supporting children in exploring what may very well become a passion in their lives.

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Baking bread from scratch, making soups from fresh ingredients, and supporting a beloved friend through her recovery by delivering said fresh soups so my friend knows that she is loved, and so my children, hopefully, will develope the compassion to do the same for others during their lifetime.

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Putting aside the convenience of resource-killing paper products in favor of re-usable towels and cloths, which will have to be laundered ad-infinitum in a desperate attempt to keep up. Just because it's the responsible thing to do.

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Combining my energy and attention with those of microbes and critters I can't even see to re-invest green matter back into our little patch of Earth in the form of compost, and recruiting others to help in the process. Showing as much love and attention and respect to our little bit of Earth as possible, so our kids will develope the same sense of reverence and awe.

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And, so much more than I can express.

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This is what I spend my life on. This is what I "do" all day... For just one day. Because tomorrow will most likely be completey different.

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And, so do a dozen other parents I know personally, and dozens more through the internet.

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We're all out there, every day, doing what we do everyday, whether we are acknowledged or not.

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Because, what we do is IMPORTANT, whether we are acknowledged or not.

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So, Rock on! I'm right there with you, and I KNOW what YOU do everyday.

So, What ARE We Eating? - Vegan Burritos

These absolutely rocked!

Kitmama found the recipe from SophistiMom, and we combined cooking forces last night for dinner. Rather than freezing them for future use, we immediately fried them in a little bit of olive oil (don't you just love that lovely golden crispiness?), and we used both flour tortillas and whole wheat tortillas. And, we opted for my Fresh Avocado Salsa rather than the recommended guacamole.

And, yes, they were just as good as a day-after lunch!

Three Bears for Safe Births

These little guys got delivered to Grace today to be put into Safe Birthing Kits for Craft Hope's Konbit Sante service project.

"Weeeheeee! We're goin' to Haiti, baby!"

"Ready to go!"

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Grace was kind enough to coordinate our local homeschool group's putting together five Safe Birthing Kits for the project, sew the tote bags all the supplies will go into (above is the tote she made for me for our trip across country), and mail everything off. Kit made two adorable little knit zebras. Maria made receiving blankets, and Christin and Paige contributed the rest of the supplies.

Thank you, Grace, for bringing this project to our attention, and getting it all together!

More Random Snow Pix

No, it did NOT snow again. Mimi very kindly sent these to me today (taken Jan 10th) and they made me smile...so here they are.

Papa Bear snowboarding on tobaggon.

Mimi!

BroBear snowboarding.

BooBoo saucering.

Mimi's hubby and granddaughter.

BooBoo's pure joy.

Mimi's hubby...more pure joy.

Yep, that's me.

Cutie Patutie.

Littleman.

BroBear returning up the hill.

More BooBoo Joy.

So, What ARE We Eating? - Day-After Tacos

The other night I made black beans and rice, and we had some left over. For lunch I spooned the rice/bean mix into corn tortillas and fried them up for crispy tacos. No cheese or sour cream. Dipped into guacamole, they were fabulous. And, the kids even ate 'em ;)

My Spanish Rice

Grace asked about my Spanish rice recipe. As with everything else I cook, the recipe is pretty loose and I mess about with it considerably. But, it looks pretty much like this:

2 c brown rice
water as directed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can tomato paste
2-4 tsp chili powder
2-4 tsp paprika
2-4 tsp cumin
2-4 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste

Yeah, I know, that's pretty loose with the seasonings, but it really depends on how much "flavor" you want. Our kids lean towards not spicy, so I go easier than I would if it were just for adults. I usually go with the 2 tsps of each, and then adjust after tasting. And, don't overlook the cumin...it does make a difference in the overall taste.

Sometimes (if I have time) I will "brown" the rice in some olive oil before I add the water and other ingredients. Otherwise, just cook it the way you would usually cook your rice.

So, What ARE We Eating? 2

The other night we had fish tacos. Two large pieces of cod poached in lemon and lime juice with a little bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder; break the cooked fish up in smaller pieces so everyone can get the amount that will fit in their corn tortilla. Top with Fresh Avocado Salsa and little bit of shredded lettuce. Home-made Spanish rice and some refried beans on the side, and you're all set.

A Weekend of Gardening

No, I haven’t let Mother Nature fool me into thinking that Winter has passed and Spring is here. I’m wise to her wily ways. But, the weather was lovely enough, it was a great opportunity to get outside and get some basic maintenance done.

I always start out the growing season with lots of vim and vigor. Some years I stick with it and we get a nice garden. Some years (like last year), I get everything planted and set, remember to pluck fresh herbs and produce from the garden when I’m cooking, but never seem to get around to the maintenance part. You know, like fertilizing, weeding, raking, pruning, mulching. That kind of thrilling stuff.

This weekend I left the heavy lifting to Papa Bear. Saturday he rented a chain saw and took out the dead apple tree on the side of the house. The local Sapsucker population had been sucking the poor thing dry for years before we bought the place, and it finally succumbed to the arboreal leeches. The Cubs helped haul the branches and trimmings out to the front driveway, and Papa Bear got the whole thing cut into firewood-length logs, with miscellaneous stuff stacked ready for chipping. With the apple tree gone, it opens up some possibilities for gardening in the side/back yard. We’re going to keep an eye on that area and see what the sun patterns are like.

I focused on the herb garden. We’ve got some survivors from last year, which is great. Last spring’s survivors gave us some nice pickin’s, particularly the chives. This year’s survivors include chives (again), rosemary, oregano, sage and thyme. I left the plant name labels in place last year, so I know what’s what, and where we might still get a surprise or two. I carefully raked away the leaf mulch from the fall (my garden helper, T-Bear loaded the leaves into the garden cart for me) and dumped them in the spot we intend to build a new leaf-mulching-composting-gig in the back, and pulled weeds. I spread a nice layer of compost over the entire garden, including the strawberries, and worked it in a bit, then added a layer of cypress mulch (left over from last year).

The strawberries have been proliferating since their planting last year.

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I did some much-needed pruning of the hydrangeas under the magnolia tree, and trimmed back the lower bit of the magnolia to make a little more space. Then de-cluttered the base of the hydrangeas, fertilized with compost, and topped with mulch.

Last but not least, I tended the bulbs which are currently pushing their little shoots out. Again, removing leaf mulch, loosening up the underlying cypress mulch (how I love to mulch!), feeding with compost, and topping with fresh mulch (the whole loving mulch thing again). From last year, we should be getting snowdrops, daffodils, hyacinth, daylily and tulips.

My final gardening act was to put up a cute little white trip-em-up fence as a gentle reminder to folks to STOP WALKING THROUGH THE FRICKEN’ GARDEN! Of course, certain small people in my family may simply take it that they will earn extra points for “difficulty” while hopping through the obstacle course they take my garden to be. I won't name names, here, but two out of three Cubs qualify.

My desperate attempt to keep everyone from tromping through my herb garden!

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Yesterday after an hour of patiently and lovingly caring for my herb garden, while simultaneously very patiently reminding any number of children to please NOT walk through the garden, and another half hour of screeching “STOP WALKING THROUGH THE GARDEN!” loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear from within their homes, I let slip the term “MoFo” aimed directly at my beloved husband after he intentionally stomped (carefully) through my garden “just to mess with you”. It definitely was not one of my finest marital moments. I am still debating whether or not my terminology was or was not entirely warranted. But, apparently he forgave me (and showed appropriate self-reproach) because I received a bouquet of roses in a really LARGE wine glass held by a tux-bearing bear, and heart-shaped box of truffles with appropriately loving card as an early Valentine’s Day gift. Love my hubby ;)

Oh, yeah, and speaking of compost…. My compost pile is a sad, sad mess of uncomposted matter. I have proven to be a miserable composter since moving to GA. I thought I was going to beat the compost beast by spending too much money on a fancy compost tumbler, but I gave up after several months of having WAAAAY too wet mush coming out of it and passed it on to Mimi with my best wishes for compost success. I then reverted to my previously tried-and-true cube composter, but have failed in my composterly duties by not turning it enough (and generally just ignoring it). As a result, I find myself in the position of having to pull the whole thing apart, shuffle it around, and start over. But, not today.

Today, I had a stroke of brilliance. Since I had some nicely composted material wedged in with uncomposted egg shells (we could not POSSIBLY have eaten THAT many eggs!) and other inert matter, I was fully prepared to beg Papa Bear to stop in the middle of whatever he was working on and build me a little compost sifter to wean the chaff from the grain, so to speak. Well, while digging through the garage looking for a missing gardening tool (ain’t there way too many of those?), I happened to spy a plastic milk crate full of “stuff”. Hmmmm, I thought, the square holes in that crate are just about the right size for a compost sifter…which I need. So, I carefully transferred (okay, dumped) the contents of the crate into a box sitting in the garage, and, viola! I had a compost sifter!

But, the REAL genius of this inspiration is that I had already grabbed some unused recycling bins and pressed them into service as garden bins for collecting weeds and hauling smaller amounts of compost and mulch to and fro. And, the milk crate fit PERFECTLY inside one of the recycling bins! It was Providence, I swear! So…

My bin of way chunky, not completely composted matter…

...went through the milk crate…

...and gave me not-perfectly-composted-but-definitely-workable compost…

...and the remaining rejects…

...get dumped back into the composter. Once I get it re-set-up. Which I will do another day, ‘cause I’m BUSHED!

So, that’s it for this week. Next week…keep watching for bulbs and tend to them as they poke up. Try desperately to weed the rest of the front planter so I can use it for something PURDY. And transfer the green spear-like thingies still surviving in the veggie garden into the rest of the front planter. Whatever they are, they’re pretty friggin’ hardy, because they’ve survived the entire winter (three…or was it four…snows, and dozens of hard freezes) while being NOT planted in the ground…just sitting on top where I abandoned them last year not wanting to really figure out where to put them. I THINK they might be irises… I really should plant them and find out ;)

So, What ARE We Eating?

You all pretty much know what we're trying to avoid eating. So, what, exactly, ARE we eating? I'll try to post some of our "successes" as they come along...not so much the failures ;)

First and foremost, thanks to KitMama for making this dish for us on our first "vegan" Tuesday Night Family Movie Get-Together. I would be cautious about billing it as "Mac & Cheese", because it doesn't taste the same, but would totally be billed as a great "pasta dish". And, learn from my mistake and avoid being stingy on the blending time...

http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=40&catId=10

Give it a whirl. Doesn't take much longer than regular baked Mac & Cheese, and is really, really tasty!

Report Card

This morning I girded my loins, took a deep breath, and reported T-Bear's numbers to the Endo.

I'm always a little anxious about reporting his numbers because we're not exactly the "ideal" D-Family. We don't eat at regularly scheduled times, usually skip breakfast (we don't even get out of bed til 10:00), and I don't force the kids to eat when they're not hungry. While we're very comfortable with our family's food life in general, it looks a bit different when your eating habits are being expressed in bald numbers, right there in black and white. To their credit, the CDE's at our Endo's office have NEVER given me a hard time about any "deficiences" in T-Bear's reports.

But, this was the first report made since our dietary changes, and I've been doing a lot of tweaking of numbers myself since our last report over a month ago (that in itself causes me to wince). I was half-expecting to be grilled about these "changes" and what the heck I was feeding T-Bear that so radically changed his BG. But, of course, the CDE was just as pleasant and supportive as they always are.

"I think you did the right thing lowering his Lantus and changins his ratios," is what she said. That's all I needed to hear. She wants me to lower is Lantus (AGAIN) down to 10 u, and drop his supper ratio from 1:10 to 1:8 (slightly more insulin per carb).

Overall, T-Bear's BG has been about equal parts on target, low, and high. But, he has not had any way-highs...nothing over 230. That's a big change from regular highs in the high 200's and low 300's. He's still going low during the night (thus the additional drop in Lantus tonight), but his lows haven't been as upsetting for him and they correct easily. From where I'm sitting, aside from having to get up every night to check his BG, it's pretty much all good.

And, Papa Bear has lost 20 lb without even trying. I'd bet his cholesterol has dropped into the normal range, too.

We're not what I would call "vegan" or even "vegitarian". I'm using little bits of meat, chicken, and dairy here and there, but most of our meals qualify as vegan. We're doing a red meat meal maybe once a week and fish a couple of times a week. We celebrated the SuperBowl with tri tip and grilled salmon, but opted for 6-layer bean dip with our chips rather than sour cream-based dips. MIL's fabulous broccoli salad did have some meat in it, but was easily picked out if needed. T-Bear's had may one or two small glasses of milk since our switch, and is fine with it. There's been a little grumbling from family members here and there (mostly from Brother Bear who's eating like a horse right now), but no revolt so far.

I think we're on the right track.

Oh, and I do have to say "thank you" to our friends who visit frequently and have been supportive of our dietary shift. Your willingness to accommodate "interesting" meal choices helps enormously. Love you all dearly!

Just Irritating

I just got an e-mail from Dean over at Dean's Beans. For those of you who don't know Dean and his crew, this is the group we get our Fair Trade organic coffee beans from. You know, that incredibly fabulous blend of beans that all the ladies swoon over when they come for Tuesday Homeschool Meet-Up. A nicer bunch of folks you'll not often come across in the coffee world. They guarantee their growers get a fair price for their coffee, support sustainable organic agriculture, work on community projects in the villages where their growers live, and still manage to sell us coffee at a decent price. And, to top it all off, Dean himself played a drunken pirate in one of the Pirates of the Carribean movies. Can't get a higher recommendation than that.

So, Dean and his crew do good works. He was called by PBS Biography offering to do a show on him and his group and the good works they do. Sounds great! Being spotlighted for being a social entrepreneur, bringing attention to an important issue for growers and coffee drinkers alike. What could be better?

But, it would cost Dean $22,000. Really. He would have to foot the bill to get his bio done.

Read Dean's letter here, and tell me if that isn't the most rediculous and disheartening thing you've read...at least in the last 24 hours...

Mom's Mysterious Potato Soup

The "mystery" is the ingredients you don't tell the kids are in it. As far as you're concerned, it's just potato soup.

5-6 medium-large yellow potatoes, cubed with skins on
1 head califlower, flouretted (is that a word?)
1 medium-large yellow onion, cubed
1 box organic free-range chicken broth
(I would have included some carrots, but didn't have any on hand).

Throw it all into a large pot. Simmer til veggies are all very tender. Whir it around in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste (I used salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.

Very nice winter soup.

Going Rogue

We’ve been making some changes. Again.

A couple of weeks ago, we virtually eliminated meat and dairy from our family’s diet. I thought this was going to be really, really tough, because despite being fairly health-conscious, we’ve always been a “meat and potatoes with cheesy sauce” kind of family, and because T-Bear had drunk milk by the gallon for most of his life. It’s always been his beverage of choice.

But I read yet another source stating that cow’s milk is at the top of the list of probable triggers of Type 1 Diabetes and many other auto-immune diseases. It wasn’t the first time I’d read this, and this time I did some additional poking around on the internet and found other “reliable” sources stating the same thing. I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. T-Bear has always drunk gallons of milk and developed Type 1; his two brothers with the same genetic background have always shunned cow’s milk and have not developed Type 1. Out with the cow’s milk and dairy products for a while.

Also, Papa Bear’s annual physical indicated his cholesterol is through the roof…still. (Funny how mine is fine, when we're eating the same diet). His Dr. wants to medicate him, but we’re not keen on the pharmaceutical approach…too many side effects. So, out with the meat for a while.

Now, we haven’t gone entirely vegan. I’m still using small amounts of butter for some cooking, and small amounts of goat cheese, parmasagne, feta, etc. for garnish. I’ve got a carton of milk in the fridge for occasional cooking (last week I think was the first time I ever had to throw out a partial carton of milk because it was undrunk). We’re doing fish a couple of time a week, and I'm using free-range organic chicken broth for cooking. But, as often as I have been able to, I’ve eliminated the dairy and meat, and we haven’t really missed it. And after the initial falling-to-the-ground-wailing-in-despair when I broke the news to T-Bear that he wouldn’t be drinking any more milk, he’s been totally fine with it. Go figure.

So, here’s what I’ve noticed since our fairly radical dietary shift. First, Papa Bear has dropped about 10 lbs and I’m pretty sure I’ve slimmed a bit, too. Papa Bear looks and feels better; better skin tone, shining eyes, elevated mood, etc. Me, I’m still not sleeping great, so probably still look pretty haggard.

More significantly, though, T-Bear’s insulin requirements have dropped. He’s gone from 20 u Lantus each evening to 15 u, and is spending more time in his target range (85-150). In fact, sans meat and dairy, we’ve had more lows that we’ve ever had until I got his Lantus down enough, and he’s still having them here and there. And while his carb/insulin ratio hasn’t changed, he’s not having highs as often as he usually does. If he’s eating vegan, two hours later he’s usually in range. If he eats meat or dairy, then using the same carb/insulin ratio he’s high two to three hours later (usually over 200).

And, that’s the other part of the “going rogue” thing. I’ve been adjusting T-Bear’s ratios and Lantus on my own. I haven’t been checking in every week with the endo, but have been watching “trends” and adjusting accordingly. It’s a little nerve-wracking, taking the full responsibility of this. But, then, it was incredibly nerve-wracking when we were traveling and I couldn’t get hold of the endo office (cell phone issues) to get adjustments for days at a time. I feel like I need to have enough confidence to make those adjustments safely myself, and this has been the first run at that, with the safety net of being about to call the endo at any time. I’ve been getting up more often in the middle of the night, but overall I feel very good about his numbers over the past two weeks.

So, what, exactly are we eating? I’ve gotten kind of creative with the cooking thing. Lots of lightly cooked fresh veggies as “main” dishes with whole-wheat pasta or buckwheat soba noodles (yummy!) or brown rice. And lots of potatoes (no skin off my spud-lovin’ nose, there). And lots and lots of fruit for snacks, rather than processed carbs. I’m figuring out how to make a pretty good bean soup, and veggie soups, and stir-fry has become a staple.

So, I think we’re going to stick with this for awhile. It seems to be doing us good. No one has threatened to leave, and there have been no uprisings over our frequent meat-less meals. Though Papa Bear did fall off the wagon and buy chips and sour-cream dips for our last group gathering, and has a pleading look in his eyes each time the subject of the impending Super Bowl party comes up.

It may take a little more adjustment, and some “’cause Mama says so” stubbornness on my part, but I think we can do this. And, I am certain it will be best for everyone.

Another Great Service Project

Craft Hope is at it again with another great opportunity to help out those who need it deperately.

Project 11: Conbit Sante is focused on putting together safe birthing kits to be sent to Haiti. Please read about this very important project here.

It is heartbreaking how little it takes to help a mother safely bring her newborn child into the world, and so often that "little" is simply not available. A bar of soap, some plastic sheeting, clean string, an alchohol wipe. When these things are not available, both mother and child are placed at risk of infection and death. It costs us so little, but can mean the world to them.

Our local homeschool group is putting together five Safe Birthing Kits to send. Please, PLEASE consider putting one (or more!) together. On your own, as a family project, or as a group. It will mean the world to a mother and her new child.

Thank you!

Last First Lost Tooth

Say that five times fast :)
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Since BooBoo Bear is our youngest and last child (whew...I don't think I could survive daily contact with one more!), and this is his first lost tooth...this is our Last First Lost Tooth. A family milestone, to be sure.

Yeah, he does look slightly demented. I swear I tried to get a decent picture. But, he's six. You know how it is.

BTW, I've been "catching up" on the blog and post-dating posts, so be sure to scroll down a few days if you want to see what's been going on. I can't promise my posts will be more prompt in the future, but I'll work on it ;)

Spaceships

BooBoo Bear was busy on Saturday building a spaceship for Space Bear. A box, two paper plates, one Christmas tree stand, and some tape...


...a few muffin papers and more tape...




...wood shims and more tape. Yes, Space Bear is still in there.

The "Mosquito 10,000".

On Sunday, he built a second space ship. This one was just a bit bigger and included a Wii steering wheel, a furniture dolly, and quite a bit more tape. Electrical tape. A full roll. This one requires a ring full of keys.

I'm pretty sure this was the inspiration for building the machine...








And, here's the maiden voyage. The wooden sword is for steering and braking (Brother Bear's suggestion). Brother Bear is at the bottom of the road in case he got going too fast. The helmet was at my insistance.



Did you notice there's still a patch of snow on the road?
.


BooBoo then went on to build a third spaceship, this one for Brother Bear. Snow saucer (probably won't work very well on asphalt), kids' booster seat (comfy!), woodworking clamps, plumbing pipes...



...an Ace Hardware bucket (booster rocket), and mosquito repellant fan (not sure why).

This one hasn't been taken out for a spin yet. I think the Cubs are putting in their request for more snow and ice, even though our driveway still has ice from last Sunday's storm.

Random Pix

BooBoo Bear's breakfast...the world's biggest panckage. Yes, I helped him flip it. No, he didn't eat the entire thing. But, he did make the batter up himself (from mix), pour it, and cook it on his own.



My first attempt at a vegetarian sandwich. It was yummy.

Don't sit on that hat. Yes, knitters are nutters.

Can you tell I've been in the house too long?

Random Snow Pix

It snowed here on the night of Jan 9th, so we woke up to about 6-8" of white stuff covering the world. While did manage to get a few pictures, after a short time outside my camera decided it did not want to function in the cold. Probably a good thing for all of you, or else there'd be a whole lot of boring snow pictures to scroll through. Unfortunately, though, no good pix of people :(

Upturned planters.

Distressed garden rooster.

Popper...not quite ready for camping.

Icicles and lights.

I did manage to get this video of our neighbor and his granddaughter sledding, though.

And, yep, the adults did at least as much sledding as the kids. Probably more.

Mythical Baret

I knitted each of my "guys" hats for Christmas. I didn't quite finish Brother Bear's because he wanted a baret, which takes a bit more time than a regular hat. He was a bit perplexed when he got two balls of yarn cast on and partially knit on a set of round needles, but I think he agrees it was worth the wait.

Brother Bear as Jaime Hyneman...

...Mythbuster!

Random Holiday Pix

Yeah, I know I'm tardy. I seem to be behind in everything right now...

Papa Bear's magnificent pies.

Rufus meets a new friend.

Bro Bear with his new Red Rider air rifle.

New boots in new snow.

Unique snowman.

Jenny's new best friend.

New footies for all!